What Women Really Want In A Man

Ask 10 men what women want in boyfriends and husbands and you'd get 10 different answers (one of which would invariably be "me", such is the male sense of humour). But there is one group of people who know exactly what women want, and that group is, um, women. So here are the results according to MSN.

If you want to know what women really look for in the men who they share all or part of their lives with, here's the low-down. And if you are convinced the answer really is "me, just me", you might be in for a surprise.

Looks

Yes, women really do go for looks, whatever you might have heard about the importance of a really great sense of humour. At the same time, though, their attitude to looks is often a little more sophisticated than ours.

"With attraction, it can be a quirky thing that does it. Some women really do adore a geek. And a some women find that a gesture or just something that makes her smile can create a 'phwoar' factor, as much as traditional good looks.

Although women say that looks are important, they are not enough on their own. Yes, looks are important however much women may deny this. Essentially though it comes down to chemistry. You either click or you don't.

Manliness

It's fair to say that women (or at least the women in our sample) do, on the whole, appreciate some level of manliness, especially if that is represented by the ability to put up a shelf or unplug the sink.

Manliness also means standing up for yourself. Though it goes without saying that women wouldn't be too keen on an aggressive idiot who argued all the time and thought they were superior to women.

Aggressive behaviour and overt laddishness are also a no-no. Also, women can't stand macho men who are all 'laddish' and beer-swigging. Drunken boorishness was brought up more than once as a reason to dump or avoid. What these women want are men who know when enough is enough.

Patience

It's possible that women can be just a little bit irrational - hormonal even - on occasion. It helps if men can understand that women's moods are often controlled by hormones and be patient. They can't help it - they realise afterwards that they were acting like Godzilla on speed, but at the time it truly does seem like the world is ending and nothing anyone can say will change it. Honest.

Patience is a virtue in other ways too. When children come on the scene, women certainly want a patient, calm presence, so they might be looking for that in any potential long-term partner. Hysterical, hyperactive men are VERY unattractive.

A man who talks... and listens

Communicating is essential, but not for the sake of itWomen wouldn't want to be with a man who had "no understanding of her or a desire to want to know her In other words, she wants a man who takes an interest in her life, whether that means her career or her hobbies. He should be curious and ask questions. He should be supportive. And of course, he can expect the same in return.

But talking is only one side of the equation. "A man who listens is what some women want. Traditionally, men want to offer solutions when sometimes women just want to talk or vent."

Romance, friendship, the works...

Nearly everyone mentioned that a partner should be a mate, as well as a, um, mate (if you see what we mean). So they want the romantic stuff and the deep stuff, but they also want loads of fun and perhaps even that legendary 'great sense of humour'.

And of course, they want romance, understanding, talent, parenting ability and so on. The moon on a stick, in other words. But then they are talking about the qualities they require of a long-term partner, a potential father of their children, their 'Mr Right' (rather than their Mr Right Now).

And as was mentioned more than once, when you boil it all down it comes to this. Women generally want a good guy, not a bad boy, despite what you might have heard. Being a good boyfriend or husband is pretty much the same as being a decent bloke - though a ripped body would be a bonus.